The present invention relates to a testing device for testing operation of a temperature sensor of an alarm or an alarm, and, a method of testing operation of an alarm.
It is known that fire alarms in Germany must be tested in accordance with the regulation VDE 0833 at least once per year with respect to its operation. When the fire alarm has a smoke detector and a temperature sensor, then the smoke detector and the temperature sensor must be tested separately with respect to their corresponding functions. The temperature sensor is tested by hot air.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a testing device for operation testing of a temperature sensor of an alarm or an alarm, and a method of operation testing of an alarm, which are further improvements of the existing solutions.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated in a testing device for operation testing of a temperature sensor of an alarm, which has a testing device for operation testing of a temperature sensor of an alarm, comprising a spraying source with a sprayable material; a testing cup fittable over a temperature sensor; a valve arranged on the spraying source for letting out the sprayable material and extending into said testing cup, the valve having a valve opening adapted to be arranged in a vicinity of the temperature sensor, so that the sprayable material is sprayable on the temperature sensor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of operation testing of a temperature sensor of an alarm which includes spraying the temperature sensor with a sprayable material by a testing device; testing a temperature decrease of the spraying with the sprayable material; and indicating an operativeness of the temperature sensor in dependence on the testing.
In accordance with the present invention, the temperature sensor is tested with a sprayable material, for example an aerosol, which is sprayed on it and thereby causes a temperature decrease. Therefore, means for providing electrical energy as required in the case of hot air are not needed. The spraying with the sprayable material of the temperature sensor leads to a cooling and thereby to an opposite temperature course to the one which occurs during a fire, which can be easily used as a criterium for a testing model.
Moreover, the measurement with aerosol is utilized also for the simultaneous operation test of a smoke detector. Therefore by a single positioning of the testing device, both measuring processes of the smoke detector and the temperature sensor can be performed for testing their operations. This leads to a simplified, faster and easier testing of a fire alarm.
It is especially advantageous that in accordance with the present invention the switching of the alarm to a testing mode can be performed either by a central unit connected to the alarm or by a switch located on the alarm or by remote operation or by the alarm itself. Thereby it is guaranteed that the testing mode is recognized and adjusted, and thereby the operation ability of the temperature sensor and in some cases of the smoke detector is tested.
In particular, with the use of aerosol and another sprayable material for the operation testing of the temperature sensor, it is possible that the alarm recognizes an operation testing itself, and the fast cooling is performed by spraying of the temperature sensor with aerosol, which otherwise is not expected. A temperature gradient of xe2x88x9210xc2x0 C./sec can be expected, which does not happen in a normal case. Since many alarms, in particular in professional area, are connected to a central unit, for example through a bus, therefore through the central unit, when the operation testing must be performed, the alarms are signaled so that they are adjusted to the testing mode.
A further possibility resides in that, during the triggering of the operation testing process either by the testing device or by an operator remotely, the testing mode of the alarm is activated.